Here are the Rivereast Standout Athletes of the Week for the week of Jan. 10-16:
Jen Whipple - Bacon Academy High School (Indoor Track): Whipple finished fourth in both the shot put and weight throw at the East Coast Invitational in Rhode Island on Jan. 15. The senior, who has committed to Lehigh University for track & field, threw the shot put 34-10 and then had a toss of 29-06.5 in the weight throw. Liana Salamone - East Hampton High School (Basketball): Salamone scored 41 points in two games as the Bellringers extended their winning streak to five games and improved to 8-1 overall. The phenomenal freshman scored 23 points in a win Coginchaug 49-25 on Jan. 14 and then dumped in 18 points in a victory over Haddam-Killingworth on Jan. 17. Delaney Russell chipped in with 10 points in the win over Coginchaug and Jackie Russell provided 13 points in the win over Haddam-Killingworth. Jack Turecek - Portland High School (Indoor Track): Turecek ran a personal-best time in the 1600 meters, finishing second overall with a time of 5:05.14 at the Shoreline Meet on Jan. 13. The senior also placed third in the 3200 meters, finishing with a time of 11:17.84 during the meet held at the Floyd Athletic Center in New Haven. Liam Calhoun - RHAM High School (Indoor Track): Calhoun keeps rewriting the record books at RHAM. The senior set two more records on Jan. 14 at the Hillhouse Varsity Night in New Haven, breaking the Indoor 800 meter mark with a time of 2:02.21 and the Indoor 1600 meter mark with a time of 4:32.83. Both of the previous marks stood since 1992. To nominate someone for an Athlete of the Week or with any questions or comments on sports-related topics, email Josh Howard at joshhowardsports@gmail.com
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RHAM's Matt Faleigh during the Raptors 79-57 victory over Avon on Jan. 11
Boys’ basketball at RHAM High School plays with the ferociousness of a velociraptor, fitting for a team nicknamed the Raptors. Head coach Todd Dean preaches an up-tempo, attacking style on offense and an intense, pressure defense for all 32 minutes. So far, the hectic approach has worked out perfectly for the team that has won every game this season. Last Tuesday, Jan. 11, the Raptors picked up win #8 by defeating Avon 79-57. “Our effort is there every single game,” said Dean. “We want to play that way because it puts us at an advantage when we can play eight, nine, ten guys deep. Hopefully we can wear teams down and tire them out.” Against Avon, RHAM was without the services of key seniors Ryan McLaughlin and Patrick Kelly. Despite playing short-handed they burst out of the gates, scoring 24 first-quarter points to take a double digit lead over the visiting Falcons. Senior Spencer Pilkington scored a team-high 17 points, including five straight in the first quarter to erase an early deficit. Pilkington drained a wing three-pointer to tie the game at nine and then sank a go-ahead jumper on the following possession after Troy Miller stole the ball in the open court and dished it to Pilkington at the top of the key. “We just take advantage of our opportunities and take high percentage shots,” Pilkington said of the team’s offensive attack. Leading 41-26 at the break, the Raptors again surged to start the second half, outscoring Avon 20-8 in the third as the lead ballooned to 26 entering the final stanza. Jimmy Hulland led the charge, scoring 11 of his 16 points in the second half. In the opening minute of the third, Hulland slammed home a breakaway dunk after receiving a pass in translation from Ryan Heneghan. Less than a minute later, Hulland canned a three after Pilkington fired a perfectly placed crosscourt inbound pass. Hulland said the team likes playing with an accelerated approach, “In practice we do a lot of drills that involve running around and energetic stuff. Once we’re in the game we’re not thinking about it, we’re just out there playing.” Aiden Allen chipped in with a dozen points, including six straight as RHAM started the second half on an 11-3 run. Allen had consecutive layups, followed by a short jump hook, upping the advantage to 54-27 with three minutes to play in the third. Heneghan added 11 points, while Michael Poncini provided a major presence down low with nine points. Poncini, a star baseball player at the school, is playing basketball for the first time and Dean said the he is getting better with each game. Poncini wowed the home crowd within the first minute of the third quarter when he blocked a shot on the defensive end and took the ball coast-to-coast before spinning around a defender and making a bank shot. “He brings a lot to us. He has energy, he scores around the basket, and brings another big body. We’ve had a couple of guys out over the last couple of weeks and he’s stepped in and we haven’t missed a beat,” added Dean. Miller scored eight points and Matt Fraleigh came off the bench to add six, all in the fourth quarter. The balanced lineup was something Dean anticipated. “[The players] knew they were going to play this way coming in. We do some conditioning but that’s how we’ve played since day one, so we’re accustomed to it and I’m confident that whoever is on the court can fill that role,” said Dean. “All of our guys are pretty confident. We have confidence in them and they have confidence in themselves.” The Raptors moved to 10-0 with victories over South Windsor (1/14) and Putnam (1/18). The team has scored at least 62 points in every game, including a season-high 83 points in the win over Putnam. “When you play like this and force teams to turn the ball over you can get transition buckets and more possession,” added Dean. “These teams we’ve played are good teams but we just have a lot of depth that can outlast other teams.” Hulland said the team is happy with the undefeated start, but he would like to see the team start even faster in games going forward. Pilkington added that the team’s seven seniors have been playing together for years and “expected to do good things.” The team hosts Rocky Hill this Friday, Jan. 21 before heading on the road to play Wethersfield (1/24) and Bulkeley (1/27). They return to RHAM on Jan. 31 for their toughest test yet, a showdown with East Catholic. All four games are scheduled to tip-off at 6:45 p.m. RHAM's Spencer Pilkington Jaden Wynn- Cromwell (Indoor Track): Wynn won both the 55 meters and 300 meters race at the Haddam-Killingworth Invitational at Floyd Athletic Center on Jan. 10. The junior had personal-best times in both events and his times were the second fastest all-time for a CHS runner. He ran a 6.78 in the 55m, besting runner-up Noah Hester of Old Saybrook and then ran a blazing 37.85 in the 300m, beating second-place finisher Luke Kindel of Hale Ray by nearly two seconds.
Lilly Ferguson- Newington (Basketball): Ferguson scored her 1,000 career point in a 61-32 win over Berlin on Jan. 11. The senior scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds during the historic night and is the leading scorer, averaging over 18 points a game, for a Nor’easter team that has a 10-0 record entering the week. Jay Socha- Wethersfield (Ice Hockey): Socha scored the game-winning goal as the Eagles defeated Glastonbury 4-3 in overtime on Jan. 15. The senior forward, nicknamed “The Mayor”, rebounded a deflection near the goal and backhanded the puck into the back of the net from the right side of the goal, improving the Eagles to 5-2-2. Jacob Nelson- Rocky Hill (Ice Hockey): Nelson scored the game winning goal in overtime as the Terriers outlasted Conard 3-2 on Jan. 12. The senior lit the lamp in the extra session, while fellow senior Connor Konopka scored the two goals in regulation. Three days later, the team celebrated Senior Night with a 7-1 win over Southington-Coginchaug-Westbrook on Jan. 15 behind a balanced scoring attack led by Brody Davidson’s multi-goal game. Anthony Parker- Xavier (Basketball): Parker scored 21 points, grabbed six rebounds, and dished out six assists as Xavier held off Cheshire 51-42 on Jan. 14. The junior guard was aided by 10 points from Aiden Driscoll, along with eight points and three drawn charges from senior Vik Vakati. WHS wrestlers prior to meet at Glastonbury on Jan. 12. Photo credit - Jo-Ann Campbell (grax.eagle)
High School wrestling has felt the effects of the pandemic more than any other sport. A year ago competition was canceled and this season the restrictions have made it nearly impossible for teams to complete a full meet. Last Wednesday, Jan. 12, the wrestling team at Wethersfield High School competed against Glastonbury at GHS. However, because of the lack of available wrestlers, nine of the 14 matches resulted in forfeiture. “Everything is different this year,” said WHS head coach Jim Arnold. “Typically if people are missing practice on a regular basis they wouldn’t be part of the team but now kids are out for a long time and they come back and you have to figure out how to adjust and get them back up to speed. It’s more unique this year.” Return to play for high school athletes who are exposed to COVID-19 are lengthy and require athletes to refrain from competition for up to two weeks or more in certain situations. In the meet at Glastonbury, the Eagles did have some standout performances and won three of the five varsity matches. Captain Tommy Krystopa (152 lbs.) defeated Kyle Amirault, freshman Donato Laurie (120 lbs.) won a decision against Dylan Vincelette, and junior Anthony Quezada (160 lbs.) won his match against P.J. Scarangella. Krystopa is captaining the team with Tyler Burgos and Jake Laurie. The three were resilient during last winter’s cancellation and have helped Arnold during this unprecedented season. “They know what the expectations are. I can rely on them to be the leaders of the team and that’s really important,” Arnold said of his captains. “We have a pretty mature group and we have a few other seniors and juniors on the team that know what the expectations are, and they typically bring their best every day. As a coach, that is all you can ask for. If they continue to do that the results will take care of themselves.” Because of a lack of available wrestlers, Burgos has not seen much action outside of practice but continues to grind. In the meet at GHS, he was able to wrestle teammates Foti Gjoni in an exhibition match. “This was my first actual match, usually it is just forfeits. It’s kind of devastating but in practice I go 100% and maybe even more than that. Sometimes I lose eight pounds if it’s one of those crazy practices,” said Burgos. “I just have to push through and get better every day and help push my team.” The team has focused on the mental aspects of wrestling as they continue to train physically with a hope they are at full strength at some point this season. Burgos and the other captains started a group chat to help with communication. “If someone is out, we’ll check in on them and ask them why they are out and see how they are doing,” said Burgos. “[The captains] put in the effort and make sure we’re checking on everyone and making sure that we can all get in the room.” Not only are there more cancellations and forfeitures, but the number of wrestlers are down this year. On a typical year, Arnold said they averaged about 30 wrestlers with around 26 finishing the year. This year the team started with 17 and only had 10 available wrestlers for the meet at Glastonbury. “Everyone, both coaches and wrestlers, are happy that we are wrestling,” said Arnold. “But what I didn’t know is how fragile wrestling is and by taking a season off we had some kids that didn’t come back. They did the exercise class that we did last year but it didn't keep their interest enough to keep coming back, knowing that there might be COVID issues and the question marks are still out there. You’re not going to be very competitive if you don’t fill all the weight classes.” The hope is that the all the wrestlers will be available to compete by the time they wrap up the regular season, hosting Avon on Feb. 9. The class championship and the state open will soon follow. For Burgos and the other seniors, they are just happy to be together, mostly. “I’ll be happy as long as my friends and teammates have their matches and I can help coach them up.” said Burgos. Rocky Hill #35 Jayden Osei-Tutu defends Bristol Eastern's Lukas Sward during the Terriers loss on Jan. 10.
Every team in the state is navigating through an uncertain winter. The boys’ basketball team at Rocky Hill is facing the same challenges while also trying to restore the roar of the program during a rebuilding year. The Terriers suffered their seventh loss in seven games last Monday, Jan. 10, falling to Bristol Eastern 44-29 at RHHS. “Obviously it’s hard when you’re 0-7, but the idea is that we have a good group of sophomores coming up and we are working to get wins,” said Rocky Hill head coach Mike Dudis. “Not only did we have guys that we thought we'd have before the year not play but we have not had our top nine in a game yet. We’ve had COVID issues like every other team in the state.” Rocky Hill’s win/loss record is certainly not a reflection of effort. The Terriers play an aggressive brand of basketball that makes it difficult for other teams to get into an offensive rhythm. Both teams struggled to put the ball in the basket early, playing to a 5-5 tie after the first quarter. A wing three-pointer by Yazdan Aftab tied it for the home team at the end of the quarter and senior captain Jayden Osei-Tutu provided the team’s biggest lead at 13-10 after he finished with a soft touch around the basket midway through the second quarter. Osei-Tutu’s bucket would be the team’s final points of the half as the visiting Lancers ended the second quarter on an 11-0 run and never looked back. “Even though we’re not getting the results on the court, I can see us getting better a little bit every day. Obviously it’s a process and in a rebuilding year you just have to stay positive the best you can,” added Dudis. The second half featured more scoring struggles for Rocky Hill, with the exception of Osei-Tutu, who scored 12 of his game-high 16 in the second half. The senior scored all but three of the team’s points over the final 16 minutes. “Jay is our best offensive player and he knows that. I think he puts a little pressure on himself to do too much but he is capable of handling that,” said Dudis, “He’s a good leader and he understands we are in a bit of a rebuild, and that’s tough when you’re a senior.” Osei-Tutu has assumed the bulk of the offensive load this season, particularly in a game against Hartford Public on Jan. 3 when he scored 23 points and grabbed a dozen rebounds. Against Bristol Eastern, Osei-Tutu hit a short jumper to cut the deficit to 34-24 at the beginning of the fourth before the visitors sealed the game with a 10-0 run fueled by Lukas Sward, who scored six of his team-high 15 during the run. Junior Tyler Carlstrom ran the point for the Terriers, while sophomores Casey Robinson and Shiv Ghutadaria provided energy. Robinson finished with four assists and Ghutadaria snared a handful of rebounds, including a pair of offensive rebounds on the opening possession of the fourth quarter. Dudis said the team is a work in progress and that it’s just about the young players getting comfortable on the court with the offense, “We’ve installed a couple of new offenses recently and we need more reps with them. I do think we are on the cusp of something and even though it didn’t show today it will just take more practice. We’ve also had opportunities in tight games and we missed a couple of point blank layups and wide open threes. Other teams right now are hitting those and good teams take advantage of those opportunities and we haven’t been able to do that.” Following the loss to Bristol Eastern, the Terriers suffered defeats against Stafford and Bloomfield, dropping their record to 0-9. It doesn’t get any easier for the Terriers, who play on the road against undefeated RHAM this Friday before heading home for three straight against South Windsor (1/24), Lewis Mills (1/28) and Windsor (1/31). All three home games tip at 6:30 p.m. “We just have to get more disciplined across the board,” added Dudis. ”The defensive intensity has to pick up and I want that to be a staple of this team. At the very least if you’re going to come play us, we’ll give you a hard game every single time.” Coaches can make lifelong impacts on athlete’s lives, particularly during trying times. The disappointments that many high school athletes have felt over the last couple of years due to the COVID-19 pandemic are lasting, but a caring coach can often make a profound difference in the lives of these athletes.
For Ethan Taylor, defensive coordinator Peter Ladas was more than a coach. Taylor, a 2021 graduate, played football at the school all four years and recently wrote a letter to his former high school defensive coach as an assignment for an engineering class at the University of Connecticut. Below is Taylor in his own words. “Dear Coach Ladas, When asked to write a letter in my Engineering 1000 level class to someone who has helped me grow as a person, there was no doubt in my mind that you would be the perfect person to write to. I am writing this letter to you as a sign of appreciation for all that you have done for me, and the football team in general. During my freshman and sophomore years, I had a strong urge to stop playing the sport that I used to love so much. However, at the end of my sophomore year, I decided to stick with the sport… and I’m so thankful that I did. My junior year of football was most definitely the best one yet. That year I felt I have grown the most as both a person and a football player. The sport alone teaches an individual tons of valuable lessons and skills, like leadership capabilities, perseverance, and grit. However, with your help, I was able to learn so much more. You were a role model for the entire team; someone who had the team’s respect and attention the second you walked in the door. Although we may not have had the best season performance-wise, you helped push us and shape us into who we are today, and for that, I am forever thankful. While you may already know, I am currently majoring in Chemical Engineering at UConn Storrs. I found my passion for Chemical Engineering senior year, taking AP Chemistry. Although my major may not be directly correlated to football, every day I use the lessons and skills that both the sport and you as a coach have taught me. Also, while our school may not have a club football team, I do aspire to pick up baseball again next year, hopefully playing for the club team. I already have a decent amount of work, but I really do want to continue with your teachings and push myself to be the best version, always learning and improving. For that reason, I hope that club baseball will be able to fill the void that I so dearly miss. I may not have been able to watch a football game this year, but in the near future, I would love to get some of the guys back together and come to watch the team play. I wish both you and the team the best of luck next season - I know for a fact that they’re in good hands. Once again, thank you for all that you have done for me, and the rest of the crew! Your favorite strong safety, Ethan Taylor” Ladas, who has been coaching football at GHS since 2019, responded to Taylor’s letter by posting, “Wins and losses to the side, it always makes my day to be reminded of why I do what I do. I’ve got so many great relationships with former players that will last a lifetime and I couldn’t be more thankful for that. Thank you, Ethan Taylor, your future is very bright!” Glastonbury's Michael Norman wrestles Wethersfield's Mark St. Andrew during a meet on Jan. 12. Norman pinned St. Andrew, improving his varsity record to 5-2
No high school sport in the state has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic more than wrestling. Football and cheer have also felt the heavy hammer of the pandemic, but wrestling lost an entire season last year and is now continuing to sludge through the regulations placed on the sport, which have limited participation and forced forfeits and canceled meets. Last Wednesday, Jan. 12, the Guardians hosted rival Wethersfield in a meet, but because of the harsh restrictions for high school athletes returning to competition following a COVID-exposure, nine of the 14 varsity matches resulted in forfeits. “We’re showing up every day and the matches that we have had we are fighting until the end,” said GHS head coach Jake Jones. “Even if we aren’t winning the matches, we are going to look professional and be a respectable group.” Despite having a majority of the meet result in forfeit, the Guardians and Eagles competed in five competitive matches with Glastonbury coming away with a 42-22 advantage overall (including forfeits). Glastonbury scored a pair of impressive individual wins. Sophomore Andrew De La Rosa (126 lbs.) pinned Wethersfield’s Mateo Aguire Ussher and freshman Michael Norman (145 lbs.) pinned Wethersfield senior Mark St. Andrew. For Jones and the team, they’ll take what they can get because of what happened a season ago when they were limited to conditioning-only. Competition was reinstated this winter, but with the strict guidelines and recommendations for return to play that have been set by the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC), which were updated on Jan. 11, have not allowed the team to have a normal meet. “We feel like they could cancel us tomorrow. We thought we would get really good updates with the new guidance but it really got worse for us,” said Jones, whose team has meets scheduled on Wednesdays and Saturdays throughout the season. Jones added that because of the physical nature of wrestling, the return to play rules are overlay harsh, “Every Wednesday I’m waiting for someone to call and tell me it is canceled and every Friday afternoon I am waiting for the same thing and praying it doesn’t happen. We just want to get as many matches as we can this year.” Michael Maciolek, the team’s only senior, did not get a chance to wrestle against Wethersfield and won by forfeit. It’s been a doubly bizarre season for Maciolek, who battled with mononucleosis to start the season and has had to endure multiple forfeits since returning. “It's been a little weird but I’ve tried to help any way that I can, whether that is coaching them in practices or just helping them out doing whatever I can,” said Maciolek. Jones, who was an assistant for three years prior to taking over as the head coach last winter, said that Maciolek has been a big help, making sure the younger wrestlers are prepared for practice and meets, adding, “he knows how things are supposed to be done and he’s set a good example.” Maciolek is one of three returning wrestlers, along with juniors Andi Jano and Nathaniel Post. Jones praised the trio for persevering during last season’s cancellation and credited their work ethic. He added that Jano has made “a massive leap” since he was a freshman. Four days after the Wethersfield meet, Maciolek and Jano were able to compete and scored wins in a meet at Ledyard last Saturday. Maciolek pinned Koshawn Dempsey of Harding and Jano pinned Emanuel Velez of Harding on Jan. 15. Along with limited matches, the Guardians have also have obstacles of practices, which take place at Gideon Middle School, three miles away from where they have meets at the high school. Jones, who lives in Colchester and works in Groton, says the team has battled bus issues because of staffing shortage, along with the logistics of practicing at one location and having meets at another. Through it all, Jones and the team have rolled with the punches. The hope is that the team is at full strength by the time the regular season finale rolls around on Feb. 9 against South Windsor at GHS. The class meets and the state open will soon follow “COVID really makes it difficult, but we are thankful we have something to do. When the kids are at practice they are happy to be there and we work hard,” said Jones. Maciolek added that the last couple years have been challenging, yet the team’s bond cannot be broken. “Wrestling groups are always close and this is the closest group that I have been a part of. I’m very grateful that we've all gotten even closer fighting through the practices and whatever we have to do,” Maciolek, who also plays football at GHS. “It’s all brotherly love and we just get out here every Wednesday and Saturday and try and do our best.” Michael Rodriguez, a sophomore at Glastonbury High School, scored two goals and dished out an assist as Glastonbury ice hockey defeated Farmington Valley 4-2 on Jan. 12.
Rodriguez has been a consistent offensive threat for the Guardians this season, scoring three goals and setting up seven other goals through the team’s first seven games. His two-goal performance against Farmington was the first time he has scored multiple goals in a high school game. This season, the Rodriguez family is a big part of the ice hockey team at GHS. Michael’s older brother, Alex Rodriguez Jr., is a senior captain and his father, Alex Rodriguez Sr., is an assistant coach. “Getting two goals was something special for me. My dad is a coach, so I’ve watched hundreds of these games, so it’s cool too,” said Rodriguez. “It’s our last hurrah. I love having my dad as a coach and playing with my brother. They can be tough on me, but it’s fun.” The win over the River Hawks snapped a three game skid for the Guardians, who won two of three to start the season. It was a key conference victory and dealt Farmington only their third loss in eight games. “We knew they were going to be a tough team. Our coach even told us that the only people who believed in us were in our locker room and we took that to heart. We wanted to come out and play physical. We were pumped up.” Rodriguez set up the first strike, passing to Maksim Gerasimov who found the back of the net for a 1-0 lead. Rodriguez then lit the lamp to make it 2-0. Following a goal from Zach Caporale on an assist from Andrew Clarkin, Rodriguez added his second to put the game on ice in the third period. Rodriguez, who has been playing ice hockey since he was five, is part of a talented sophomore line that includes Gerasimov and Ben Jean. It’s a line that will not only be playing together this season, but for the next two years as well. Rodriguez said the three are “forming the chemistry right now.” Having his father as a coach and his older brother as a captain provides a family dynamic to the team and the years of playing together with the other players translates that family-feel to the ice. “This team is something special. We’ve known each other forever and honestly I think we have the closest team in the school,” stated Rodriguez. “I truly love these guys and would do anything for them.” Outside of GHS, the Rodriguez brothers continue to play ice hockey year-round on club teams and both have earned trips to nationals this spring. Michael will be playing in a national tournament in Michigan and Alex will be playing in California. Michael Rodriguez called the upcoming experience “pretty cool” and added that both brothers are looking forward to playing on a national stage. Double Dip for GHS Girls T&F
Glastonbury High School girls’ track and field had a pair of meets on Saturday, Jan 8. The Guardians broke the team into two groups, sending one group to the Elm City Coach Invitational in New Haven and another to the Hartford Public Meet. At the Elm City Coaches Invite, the girls posted great times and results. The girls 4x200 team made up of Meghan Smith, Annika Paluska, Alex Edwards and Molly Harding started the day off strong with a winning time of 1:52. In the 55 meter hurdles and 55 meter dash Zoe Spann-McDonald placed 2nd and 6th. The girls dominated the middle distance events with Molly Harding and Annika Paluska placing 1st and 3rd in the 600 meters with times of 1:40.24 and 1:43.36. In the 1000 meters, Ava Gattinella took 2nd with a speedy 3:06.26. In the 1600 meters, Jackie Dudus came in second with a time of 5:31.31 in the 1600 meters with Kelley MacElhiney close behind in a 4th place finish of 5:41.65. During the 3200, which is the longest event of the day, Annika Hurley came in 3rd with a time of 11:52.67. The sprinters also ran strong with Molly Harding winning the 300 in a time of 42.83. To round out the track events the girls 4x400 team raced strong coming in second with a time of 4:20.81. In the high jump Kate DeSousa dominated, winning the event with a jump of 5’4” and attempted to break the school record. Anna Hilary and Rebekah Kilgore placed 1st and 2nd with heights of 8’0” and 7’6”. To round out the day Layla Spann-McDonald placed 3rd in the shot put with a great throw of 30’10” and placed 9th in the long jump with a distance of 14’5.25”. At the Hartford Public meet, Maya Drelichowski and Avery Olschefskie found success in the 300 meters with Drelichowski placing 11th with a time of 51.84 and Olschefskie in 20th with a time of 53.86. In the 1600 meter run Jocelyn Wolf came in second with a time of 6:14, Isabella Martas-Mayr came in fifth with a time of 6:32, followed by Chloe Griffin in sixth with a time of 6:38. In to the 55 meter dash, Maya Drelichowski finished in 24th place with a time of 9.02 and Avery Olschefskie came in 32nd with a time of 9.36. In the 600 meters, Drelichowski took first with a time of 1:59 and Olschefskie tenth with a time of 2:10. In the shot put, Shalon Hardy came in 20th with a throw of 19’2.25” and Cece Kabbani came in 26th with a throw of 15’2”. Overall, the girls track team had a successful meet and hope to continue their achievements throughout the rest of the season. Overall the girls had a great day and are looking to continue their strong performances as they get closer to the beginning of the championship season. The Guardians will head down to New Haven for the Southern Connecticut Conference (SCC) Coaches Invitational on Jan the 22nd. GHS Swim & Dive Downs Conard, Falls at Xavier Glastonbury boys swimming and diving defeated Conard (98-76) on Jan. 11 to earn their third win and then suffered their first defeat three days later, losing to Xavier (92-89) on Jan. 14. In the win over Conard, the Guardians defeated the Chieftains at Cornerstone Pool in West Hartford. Glastonbury won 10 of the 12 events, improving at 21-2 all-time against CHS. Campbell McFall and James Liao both had perfect four-win afternoons. Jack Watson, Sean Savidge and Brian Pawlowski each had two wins. The single winners were Jay Shah, Leo Wong, Connor Lieu, John Redfern and Myles Murphy. Keaden Nguyen and Andrew Phan each had 1 win for Conard. The meet started with a 1-3 finish for GHS in the 200 medley relay. The relay team of Jack Watson, Sean Savidge, Brian Pawlowski and James Liao won the event in a season best time. The relay team of Donald Newandee, Max Ramirez, Niall Easton and John Redfern placed 3rd. The score of the meet was 10-4 in favor of GHS and the Guardians would extend that lead throughout the meet. The 200 freestyle was a 1-2-4 finish. Campbell McFall was 1st and qualified for the Class LL Meet, Myles Murphy was 2nd and John Comite was 4th. The 200 individual medley was a 1-2-5 finish. Jack Watson was 1st, Sean Savidge was 2nd and Derek Liu was 5th. The 50 freestyle was a 1-2-3 sweep. James Liao was 1st and qualified for the Class LL Meet, John Redfern was 2nd and Connor Lieu was 3rd. The score entering diving was 46-16. GHS placed 1-3-4 in diving. Jay Shah was 1st, Max McCurdy was 3rd and Devon Allison was 4th. The second half started with the 100 butterfly and Keaden Nguyen from Conard won the event as he out-touched John Comite. GHS did place 2-3-4 to out-score CHS. John Comite was 2nd, Alex Wong was 3rd and Sean Savidge was 4th. Conard won back to back events as Andrew Phan won the 100 freestyle. The Guardians once again placed 2-3-4. Derek Liu was 2nd, Niall Easton was 3rd and Isaac Shen was 4th. The long distance 500 freestyle was a 1-2-3 sweep by Glastonbury. Campbell McFall won the event, broke the 5 minute barrier and qualified for the Class LL Meet with his excellent time. Brian Pawlowski was 2nd and John Redfern was 3rd. Both Brian and John also qualified for the Class LL Meet. The 200 freestyle sprint relay would be the clinching event of the meet as GHS placed 1-3 to make the meet score 98-41. The relay team of Sean Savidge, Leo Wong, Connor Lieu and Campbell McFall easily won the event while the relay team of John Comite, Derek Lui, Max Ramirez and Myles Murphy placed 2nd. GHS would swim the last 3 events exhibition. In the 100 backstroke, GHS would touch 1-2. James Liao touched 1st and qualified for the Class LL Meet. Donald Newandee touched 2nd. In the 100 breaststroke, GHS swept the event as they touched 1-2-3. Brian Pawlowski touched 1st, Ethan Hipsky touched 2nd and Niall Easton touched 3rd. The final 400 freestyle relay was also a sweep as Glastonbury touched 1-2. The relay team of John Redfern, Myles Murphy, Campbell McFall and James Liao touched 1st while the relay team of John Comite, Ryan Lieu, Jack Watson and Brian Pawlowski touched 2nd. Final score came to 98-76. In the loss at Xavier, the Guardians could only manage a single event win out of the 12 events , dropping to 3-1 on the season and a very competitive 18-10 all-time against the private school from Middletown. Jay Shah turned in the lone Glastonbury win in diving. Xavier has some serious top end talent and they showed their excellence as Mitchell Wollen, Samuel Enes and Noah San Vicente each had perfect four-win afternoons. Nikita Zuev had three wins, Matthew Whitaker and Maxwell Enes each had two wins and Dillon Gallo had a win. The meet started with a dominant six second win by the Xavier 200 medley relay team of Mitchel Wollen, Matthew Whitaker, Samuel Enes and Nikita Zuev. The GHS relay team of James Liao, Sean Savidge, Jack Watson and John Redfern placed 2nd with a season best time. The score was quickly 10-4 in favor of Xavier. The Falcons kept the pressure on as they went 1-2-5 in the 200 freestyle. Noah San Vicente was 1st and Maxwell Enes was 2nd with sub-1:50 second times. James DeDonato from Xavier placed 5th, a proud Pine Brook Pool Club member. Ari Lazaridis is also a Glastonbury resident and swam an exhibition heat of the 200 freestyle. GHS managed a 3-4 finish. Campbell McFall was 3rd with a sub-1:50 time and Myles Murphy was 4th. The event score was 11-5 in favor of Xavier and now the meet score was 21-9. The 200 individual medley was another great event for the Falcons as they went 1-2 again. This time is was Mitchell Wollen in 1st and Matthew Whitaker in 2nd. GHS placed 3-4-5. Brian Pawlowski was 3rd, Jack Watson was 4th and Ethan Hipsky was 5th. Both Brian and Jack qualified for the Class LL Meet with their excellent times. The event score was 10-6 in favor of Xavier and now the meet score was 31-15. Xavier went 1-3 in the 50 freestyle with Samuel Enes in 1st and Dillon Gallo in 3rd. GHS placed 2-4-5 with James Liao, John Redfern and Sean Savidge. Event score was 9-7 in favor of Xavier and now GHS faced its largest deficit of the season by far with the meet score at 40-22. Xavier does not have any divers, so the Guardians were able to make a major comeback as they placed 1-2-3 by default and that is a 13-0 event score. Jay Shah was the highlight of the meet for GHS as he had a fantastic performance on the 1 meter board. Jay’s score of 263.50 points moved him from 6th place to 5th place in school history. He only trails divers Ethan Godfrey, Nick Jefferson, Samuel Hoyt, and Jason Bagdasarian on that Top Ten List. Max McCurdy was 2nd and Devon Allison was 3rd and now the meet score was 40-35 despite Xavier dominating the first four swimming events. Glastonbury would not go down without a fight as they importantly placed 2-3-4 to out-score Xavier in the 100 butterfly. Samuel Enes easily won the event by 6 seconds. John Comite was 2nd, Alex Wong was 3rd and Niall Easton had a great swim as he went from 5th to 4th in the final leg. The event score was 9-7 in favor of GHS and now the meet score was 47-44. The 100 freestyle would be the same result as GHS kept up the good fight as they placed 2-3-4 again. Nikita Zuev won the event by 2 seconds and James DeDonato was 5th. Campbell McFall was 2nd, John Redfern was 3rd and Myles Murphy was 4th with a Class LL qualifying time. Another event score of 9-7 and now the meet score was as close as it could be without being tied as Xavier was ahead by 1 point with the score 54-53. Xavier put the hammer down in the 500 freestyle as they placed 1-2 again. Noah San Vicente was 1st and Maxwell Enes was 2nd while both turned in sub-5 minute times. GHS would place 3-4-5. Brian Pawlowski was 3rd, Ethan Hipsky was 4th and Derek Liu was 5th. The event score was 10-6 in favor of Xavier and now the meet score was 64-59. In order to try and keep it within striking distance, Coach Hoyt split her 200 freestyle relays in an attempt to place 2-3 and that is just what happened. The Falcons dominated with a 5 second victory with the relay team of Samuel Enes, Dillon Gallo, Maxwell Enes and Noah San Vicente. The 2nd place Glastonbury relay team was Sean Savidge, Leo Wong, Brian Pawlowski and Myles Murphy while the 3rd place relay team was Campbell McFall, Noah Roberts, Max Ramirez and Alex Wong. The event score was 8-6 in favor of the Falcons making the meet score 72-65. Mitchell Wollen was back in the water for the 100 backstroke and won the event by an impressive 4 seconds. GHS placed 2-3 in the event with James Liao in 2nd and Jack Watson in 3rd. The event score was 9-7 in favor of Xavier and now the meet score was 81-72. The last gasp would come in the 100 breaststroke and Matthew Whitaker would stand tall as he won the event by 3 seconds. GHS would place 2-5. Sean Savidge was 2nd and Isaac Shen was 5th . The event score was 11-5 in favor of Xavier and now the meet score was 92-77 and that would clinch the meet since the missing points in diving meant that the Falcons could clinch the meet with 90 points or more. Xavier would swim the last event exhibition. The Falcons would still dominate the 400 freestyle relay as they placed 1-3. The relay team of Noah San Vicente, Maxwell Enes, Mitchell Wollen and Nikita Zuev cruised to a 4 second victory. The GHS relay team of Campbell McFall, John Redfern, Brian Pawlowski and James Liao placed 2nd with an excellent season best time. The final score came to 92-89 and this meet was by far the most exciting of the season and produced some great swims. Xavier was the better team with 4 of their top swimmers being seniors (Wollen, Zuev, San Vicente and Gallo). The upcoming schedule has a home dual meet against Hall High School on Friday, January 21st at 5:30 p.m. There is also an away dual meet against Enfield High School on Tuesday, January 25th and the old Fermi High School annex pool at 3:45 PM. Contributed by Steve Hoyt. Thomas Close, a senior at Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU), is a Belltown basketball legend. The 2018-East Hampton High School graduate scored 1,485 points, earning All-State three times as a four-year starter at the high school. The hardwood prodigy continued his passion at the next level, joining a Warriors team in Willimantic and picking up where he left off in high school. “It’s been great. I came in as a freshman super excited to join a winning program,” Close said of his college experience. “I’ve made a lot of friendships. My love of basketball has grown even more than I could have imagined here.” Following a reserve role as a freshman, Close became a starter as a sophomore and has never relinquished that role. This winter he is averaging a career-best 12.5 points per game as the Warriors are aiming to capture a Little East Conference (LEC) title for the first time since 2018. That same year, Close was a senior in high school where he helped lead East Hampton to an undefeated regular season. The team’s winning extended into the Shoreline Conference (SLC) tournament where the Bellringers won their first SLC championship, defeating Cromwell in a 58-54 thriller on March 8, 2018. “To this day that is one of my favorite moments of my basketball life because it was with the kids that I’ve known since kindergarten. It was great for all of us,” said Close, who scored a team-high 17 points in the win. Close added that he and his teammates at Eastern still talk about the glory days of high school, “There’s so much freedom and you’re playing with the kids that you grew up with.” He hopes this season ends with that same conference championship feeling. The Warriors have been on the cusp of a conference crown twice in the past three seasons, but have lost on both occasions. During his freshman year at ECSU, the Warriors fell to Keene State in the LEC championship game. The following season (2019-2020) they were again eliminated from conference contention by Keene State and during last year’s COVID-abbreviated season (2020-2021), Keene State again ousted Eastern in the LEC tourney. “We’ve been talking about that since day one,” Close said about winning a conference championship. “Not that rankings mean anything but in the preseason rankings we got ranked sixth and we already knocked off two of the teams that were ranked ahead us. We know what we have here and we’re definitely going for a championship.” Keene State has been a nemesis to Eastern in recent years, but it hasn’t been all bad. Close played the hero in the 2020-2021 regular season finale, as ECSU defeated the New Hampshire-based Owls in dramatic fashion when Close canned a three point shot with 2.3 seconds left in overtime as the Warriors won 85-83. The win wrapped up an undefeated home record (5-0) for the Warriors during the shortened season. Because of that truncated season, in which the Warriors only played nine games, Close and the rest of the college athletes were granted an exemption to play an additional college season. This means that Close will have a 5th year of eligibility next year, which he says he will take advantage of. Coming from a small town, college basketball has been a bit of an adjustment for Close. In high school, he was the undisputed #1 option and once he got to the next level he was forced to adapt his game. “In high school I would have the ball in my hands 24/7 and now I’m a two guard, so I really had to work on my shot over the years. In high school I would dribble drive and get to the rim because guys were shorter in Shoreline, but now I’m playing against a team like Keene State that has two guys that are 6’8”, so I’ve really transformed my game into more of a shooter,” said Close. “I’m the type of person that will do whatever is best for the team. Playing the two has been great, it’s expanded my game.” Close has spent countless hours crafting his game and perfecting his picturesque jump shot, which looks effortless on the court. His scoring average has gone up in each of his four seasons and his shooting percentage has followed. He also credits his coach, Bill Geitner, with shaping him into the player he’s become in college. “I came into school super shy and as I’ve gotten older I’ve grown out of that and he’s helped. He’s helped me a lot with confidence and getting to the right spots and the overall experience,” Close said of Geitner, who has been coaching at ECSU for two decades and won over 60% of his games during his tenure. “We’ve become super close. We can talk about anything; basketball, class, family.” During the pandemic, gyms were closed and competitive basketball was temporarily halted. The family-oriented Close leaned on his loved ones for support in more ways than one. His mother, Susan, and sisters, Megan and Riley, offered emotional support and would go outside and rebound for him as he shot jumpers. “We have a super close relationship,” Close said of the family. “My mom and my grandma [Patricia] don’t miss a game at home. They are at every game sitting in the front row. Looking over and seeing them there means the world to me.” This winter, ECSU has won eight of nine games at home, compiling a record of 9-4. They have 10 regular season games remaining, including a pair against Keene State, which could go a long way in determining seeding for the LEC tourney, which starts Feb. 22. February’s tourney is another chance for Close and the Warriors to bring a conference championship home to Willimantic. Despite the loss, Closed fondly recalled the atmosphere of the LEC championship game his freshman season and yearns for another shot at the title, saying “I want to get back there so bad.” Conference championship or not, Close will finish up his degree in Sports Management this year and focus on his minor in coaching during his fifth-year at Eastern. After his playing days are over, the former Bellringer said he will keep basketball in his life, whether it’s through coaching or as a grad assistant. Because for Close, basketball will always be life, “It means everything to me. It’s a getaway from problems. I might have a bunch of homework that I am stressing about, but I go to practice and I’m in a different world. It’s been a passion for me and it’s created so many friendships.” Thomas Close after helping East Hampton boys’ basketball win the Shoreline Conference Championship on March, 8 2018 |
AuthorSports Editor for the Rare Reminder, Glastonbury Citizen, and Rivereast News Bulletin Archives
April 2024
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